Who will be on the US women’s rugby team in Paris in 2024?

Check out who’s on Team USA’s women’s rugby team!

• Alena Olsen (Caledonia, Michigan)
• Alev Kelter (Eagle River, Alaska)
• Ariana Ramsey (King of Prussia, Pennsylvania)
• Ilona Maher (Burlington, Vermont)
• Kayla Canett (Fallbrook, California)
• Kristi Kirshe (Franklin, MA)
• Lauren Doyle (Team Co-Captain – Boody, Illinois)
• Naya Tapper (Team Co-Captain – Charlotte, North Carolina)
• Sammy Sullivan (Fayetteville, North Carolina)
• Sarah Levy (San Diego, California)
• Alex “Spiff” Sedrick (Herriman, Utah)
• Steph Rovetti (Reno, Nevada)

Travel reservations:

• Nicole Heavirland (Whitefish, Montana)
• Kris Thomas (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)

Ilona Maher, 27, was a star at Quinnipiac University in Hamden, Connecticut.

When did women’s rugby become an Olympic sport?

Women’s rugby made its debut at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio.

Australia (gold), New Zealand (silver) and Canada (bronze) took home the medals in 2016. In 2020, New Zealand (gold), France (silver) and Fiji (bronze) took home a place on the podium.

A medal for the US women’s rugby team in Paris would be the first.

What are the rules for rugby at the Paris Olympics?

Similar in style to American football, rugby is a 7-a-side game between two teams where the aim is to score more ‘tries’ than the other. A try, equivalent to a touchdown, is worth five points and an additional kick from the spot of the try is worth a further two points. Three points can be earned for a drop goal or penalty, although this is less common.

Matches are split into two seven-minute halves, so the action is fast-paced. Players are only allowed to make sideways or backward passes to move the ball, with tackling, scrums and kicks also playing a role.

How does scoring work in rugby?

Here’s how scoring works in rugby:

• 5 points – Try: scored when a player runs the ball over the goal line and touches the ground
• 7 points – Penalty try: scored when a serious infringement prevents a likely try
• 2 points – Conversion: scored when a player from the team that scored a try attempts to kick the ball through the posts
• 3 points – Penalty: A team that is the victim of a serious foul may choose to “shoot on goal” and would earn three points if successful
• 3 points – Drop goal: scored when a player scores a goal from a drop kick in open play

How big is the rugby field at the Paris Olympics?

If you’re not familiar with rugby, the terminology can feel a little daunting. Here’s a quick guide to some of the sport’s key terms.

The field size is essentially the same as a standard rugby union game. The playing field must not exceed 100 metres long and 70 metres wide, or 328 feet long and 229 feet wide.